Just Breathe
by SilentHowling
Summary: Kyle is late to return home and Archie begins to panic and think the worst.


**Just a short drabble I wrote for a pairing I like. 1p Australia and 2p Australia. It can be seen as romantic or platonic so it's up to you~**

**1p - Kyle**

**2p - Archie**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia. I only own Archie,**

* * *

"**Hey, just look at me. Breathe."**

The clock struck midnight, ringing throughout the house, dragging Archie's attention away from the door to it. He gave a sigh before looking back at the door, hoping that in any minute, Kyle would walk through that door. It would be a lie to say he wasn't worried when all he'd been doing the past few hours were worry and stress.

Kyle had had some business with Charles to deal with that day and had told Archie he would be late. _"I'll be home by 10pm at the latest. Charles likes his sleep as much as I do honestly. I'll call if something happens." _By nine o'clock he'd started to worry. When ten o'clock had come and past with no sign of the man, Archie's anxiety was in full swing; he was scared, he was shaky and his hands were clenched hard enough to become damp with perspiration. So, when the clock had struck midnight, he began to fear the worst.

_What if there'd been an accident? What if he'd been kidnapped?_ The questions started out tame, normal questioned that Archie always asked himself whenever this happened. But as he curled up as small as he could, the questions became unrealistic. Unwanted. _What if he's sick of me? What if he doesn't want me anymore? What if he thinks I'm too annoying?_

The thoughts were racing around his mind, repeating and growing stronger, louder. His shaking increased more and he couldn't help the sob that broke free, nor the tears that started to leak down his face, making breathing even more difficult. Archie covered his face and just cried into the couch he'd curled up on. He knew he was being unrealistic and that Kyle was probably just late; the man was notorious for getting distracted by the simplest of things. _I'm just worrying about nothing. Overreacting as usual. He'll come home… won't he?  
_

It was dark as Kyle walked up to the door, the outside light having been turned off, or not even turned on at all. He frowned at that, distinctly remembering asking Archie to leave it on. But he didn't worry too much since it wasn't the first time the request had been forgotten.

At first, he didn't see anything amiss as he walked in, but the initial silence had him start to get worried. As the door shut behind him, he called out, "Archie? Ya here?" Kyle listened carefully and could then hear it. The sound of crying.

Kyle's worry increased as he heard it and followed the sound to the living room, quickly spotting Archie on the couch. "Oh shit." Kyle swore, taking note of the gasping breaths, the shaking body and the tears.

He stood there for a moment, just frozen as he tried to remember what to do. It had been so long since Archie's last panic attack that it was scaring him as well. Especially since he didn't know what had caused this one. _No, I can't just stand here and do nothing. Help Arch first, find out what happened later._

Carefully, Kyle approached Archie, making sure to make small noises so that if Archie could actually hear him, he wouldn't panic. He made his way to the couch and slowly eased onto it, being mindful to not touch Archie. When the anxiety had become a problem, Kyle had read up on it and found that touch could make things worse. The previous attacks had never been this bad and had been easy to deal with.

"Archie—" Kyle began and cut off, jumping in surprise as Archie's head quickly turned to face him, his eyes wide and tears falling down his cheeks. Archie seemed to realize that he was still crying and buried his face back into the cushion on the couch.

"Hey Arch, look at me." Gently resting a hand on the others shoulder, he leant down a little, repeating himself when Archie refused to look at him, "Look at me Archie. It's alright. Just breathe for me." Kyle waited for Archie to look at him before giving a reassuring smile and taking a deep breathe for the latter to follow suite.

The two kept this rhythm up for a while, Kyle exaggerating his breathing and Archie followed, keeping it going until Archie's breathing began to even out and return to a normal pattern. Once that had happened, Kyle let go of his shoulder and sat there, the silence descending on the two of them.

"You good now?" Kyle eventually broke the silence, his concern still very high for the other, who merely gave a shrug and turned away from him, "Do you… wanna tell me what that was all about?"

Archie was quiet for so long that Kyle had thought he hadn't heard the question and was about to repeat it when he heard the quiet voice, "It's nothin'… I just overreacted…"

"I don't even know what you were reacting to. But I'm sure you weren't." Kyle tried to reassure, giving a smile to help Archie relax a little more, but frowned when it just made the latter hunch in more. "Well how about this. You tell me and I'll tell you if you were. After all, I know you better than you do."

"You do…" Archie's voice was quiet, but the small smile he gave showed he was starting to feel a little better, "I just… I got scared… you know how it is…"

"Scared about what?"

"Scared that you weren't coming home… you said you were coming at nine… and when it hit midnight I just… panicked. I got scared that maybe you were sick of me. Didn't want to be around me anymore…"

"Oh Arch." Kyle sighed and reached over to pull Archie against his chest, now understanding where the panic had come from, "I'm sorry I didn't call to say I would be later. Charles and I lost track of time sorting out that paperwork."

"I know… you get distracted easily. Can you see what I meant by overreacting now?"

"No. No I can't. Because you didn't." When Archie opened his mouth to argue, Kyle shook his head, "Before you moved in here, Arthur spoke to me. Told me 'Archie's loveable and cute, sure, but he struggles sometimes when he's alone. Anxiety and that.' So, it's not your fault you reacted that way."

"But I-I—"

"But nothing. There's nothing wrong with how you reacted. Nothing at all. It's just a part of you that you struggle to control sometimes."

Kyle smiled as Archie looked up at him with a hopeful expression that quickly faded as tears filled his eyes again and he began to cry. Still smiling, Kyle stretched out on the couch properly, shifting so that they were lying down, Archie simply burying his face into Kyle's shirt and crying his stress and worries away. Gently, he began to rub the others back, hoping to soothe and calm him.

Eventually, the crying subsided and Archie's grip loosened as he fell asleep. Not that Kyle blamed him at all, he was well aware of how stressed and worried Archie could get. All he could do was make sure that he was there for him and help make his life a little easier. And he would start by not repeating that night's events. Closing his eyes, Kyle let out a deep sigh and whispered to the now silent house.

"G'night Arch."


End file.
